COLOR AND ILLUMINATION INTENSITY IN AQUACULTURE ENVIRONMENT ON PERSONALITY BEHAVIOR OF CICHLIDS

Ornamental fishery plays a crucial role in the development of modern fishery economy, yet the welfare of ornamental species remains underexplored. This study aimed to investigate the influence of environmental factors on the personality traits of Cichlidae juveniles, specifically Labidochromis caeruleus. The experimental design involved variations in aquaculture tank color (white, red, orange, blue) and illumination intensity (35, 300, 2000 lx) to compare sociability, boldness, and aggressiveness across 12 different environmental combinations. The results demonstrated that at an illumination intensity of 300 lx, the red-colored environment led to the highest levels of sociability, while maintaining relatively low aggressiveness, indicating an optimal balance between these traits. Similarly, in the blue environment at the same illumination intensity, the fish displayed comparable sociability and aggressiveness, coupled with higher boldness, indicating increased exploratory behavior. The study showed that different color and light intensity conditions can elicit specific behavioral responses in juvenile L. caeruleus. It is recommended to incorporate red or blue elements as the background in aquaculture environments with a lighting intensity of 300 lx to create an optimal rearing environment for L. caeruleus that promotes both sociability and boldness while moderately controlling aggressiveness. This combination not only enhances individual exploration tendencies and group interactions but also effectively mitigates negative stimuli propagation within the aquarium environment. From the perspective of the welfare of ornamental fish farming, this study provides initial insights into the behavioral tendencies of L. caeruleus under different environmental factors through behavioral methods, offering valuable reference points for future research and practical applications in the ornamental fish industry.